Motor driven injection apparatus



March 26, 1957 M. SINGER ETAL I 2,786,468

MOTOR DRIVEN INJECTION APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WMI F/G. 2. I INVENTOR.

JOHN J. FITZGERALD MARCUS SINGER BY mm ATTORNEY March 26, 1957 M. SINGERETAL 2,786,468

v MOTOR DRIVEN INJECTION APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. JOHN J. Fl Z ERALD MARCUS GER ATTORN EY United States Patent"MOTOR DRIVEN INJECTION APPARATUS Marcus Singer, Ithaca, aIIdNJOY hII J.Fitzgerald, Tompkins,

Application June 29, 1955, Serial No. 518,748

Claims. (Cl. 128-218) The present invention relates to motor drivenfluidmetering apparatus, and in particular to a device for s1-multaneous perfusion and extraction of precise amounts of fluids overpredetermined periods. To advantage, the invention finds application inthe continuous infusion and extraction of microvolumes of solutionsdirectly into and from organs and tissues.

Numerous devices are known for the injection of fluid solutions overrelatively extended periods of time and at fairly well regulated rates.Characteristically, such devices comprise one or more hypodermicsyringes of the type including a syringe barrel or cylinder containingthe fluid solution to be injected and a plunger or piston operable inthe barrel or cylinder for injecting the fluid through a needle into theobject or person.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedfluid-metering apparatus of the aforesaid character. Specifically, itiswithin the contemplation of the present invention to provide asyringe-type apparatus for continuous infusion and extraction of fluidsolutions at microvolume levels which facilitates the maintainence of aconstant volume within an object, systern or person under observation ortreatment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide automaticperfusion and extraction means which permits controlled feed anddelivery of microvolumes of fluid to a system over extended periods oftime, substantially automatically and without regulation or supervision.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating features ofthe present invention, there is provided apparatus which includes astationary support having a pair of spaced apart standards upon whichare mounted plunger-operated hypodermic syringes each of standardconstruction. The syringesare mountedto extend in opposite directionswith their plungers accessible in the space intermediate, the standards.An actuating system is disposed between the standards and connected tothe respectivesyringes and means are provided to displace the actuatingmember away from one of the stand ards and toward the other of thestandards. By this action, the one or-moresyringes on one of thestandards have their plungers depressed to achieve infusion of theliquid solution at a rate determined by the feed rate ofthe actuating.member; and the plungers of the syringes on the other standard arepulled outwardly, providing vacuum in the associated syringes whicheifectuates fluid withdrawal at a rate determined by the feed rate ofthe actuating member.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, featuresadvantages and applications of the present apparatus will be bestappreciated by reference to the followingdetailed description of apresently preferred embodiment, when taken in conjunction withthe,accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a combined infusion and ex-- traction apparatusembodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of thearrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 ofFig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 takenalong the line 55 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken substantially along theline 66 of Fig, 1 and. looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale takensubstantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2 and looking in the directionof the arrows.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, and in particular to Figs. 1to 5 inclusive, there is shown motor driven injection and extractionapparatus according to the present invention, generally designated bythe numeral 10, which includes a support 12 having a base or pedestal1'4 and a pair of standards or uprights 16, 18. The flat top faces 16a,18a of the standards are disposed in a common horizontal plane and areformed with transversely-extending seating depressions or slots 20, 22.In the illustrative form, the top face 16a is provided with four spacedapart seated depressions, while the top face 18a of the standard 13 isformed with a pair of seating depressions 22, the pair 22 being disposedin substantial alignment with the outermost pair of seating depressions20 on the standard 16.

The sections of the respective seating depressions 20, 22 are all thesame, and as seen in Fig. 6 each includes opposed upright walls 22a, 22band a V-shaped base or floor 22c. An appropriate liner 24, as of softrubber, is provided coextensive with the walls of the seating.depressions 20, 22.to provide a cushioned mount for the respectivesyringes, each of which have been generally designated by the referencenumeral 26. As is well understood, the syringes 26 include a maincylindrical=body or barrel 28 adapted to contain fluid, a reciprocatingplunger 30 movable through a predetermined linear thrust within thebarrel or cylinder 28, and a needle 32 in communication with the barrelor cylinder 28. When the plunger 30 is thrust forwardly, pressure iscreated within the cylinder 28 causing fluid to be discharged throughthe needle 32; and when the plunger 39 is drawn backward, a vacuum iscreated within the barrel 28 causing the extraction of fluidfrom thebody or tissue into which the needle 32 is inserted.

The respective syringes 26 are fixed in place through provision ofpivoted clamping or locking members 34, 36 associated with the seating.depressions 20, 22. The clamp or locking members 34, 36 are all of thesame structure and accordingly only one will be described in detail inconjunction with the showing of Fig. 6. Specifically, locking member 36,which is seen to straddle the seating depression 22 and to rest againstthe adjacent upper face 18a of the standard 18, is mounted on a firstpivot bolt 38 tapped into the standard 18 at one side of the seatingdepression 22, and is lockable in position by a keeper bolt 40 likewisetapped into the standard 18. The clamping plate 36 is formed with a bore36a for the extension therethrough of the threaded shank of the pivotbolt 38'and is formed vwitha lateral slot 36b which accommodates theshank of the keeper bolt when the member 36 is pivoted into the engagedfull line position (illustrated at the upper end of the standard 18 inFig. 1). Upon tightening down on'one orboth of the bolts38, 40, theassociated syringe may be accurately seated and locked in placev initsdepression 22.

By the described arrangement of the seating depressions 20,22 andassociated clamping members 34, 36,- it is possible to mount a first setof the syringes, generally designated by the notation S1, with theirrespective plungers extending inwardly from the standard 16 and insubstantial parallelism, and asecond set of syringes, generallydesignated by the notation S2, with their plungers extending inwardlyfrom the standard 18 and in substantial parallelism. As seen in Fig. 1,the end adjacent pair of syringes S2 on the standard 18 have theirplungers in substantial end to end alignment with the end adjacent pairof syringes S1 on the standard 16.

Traversing the uprights or standards 16, 18 is a lead screw 42 which, asseen in Fig. 2, includes an intermediate threaded section 42a and endadjacent bearing sections 42b, 420. The bearing sections 42b, 42c extendthrough appropriate sleeve bearings or brushings 44 provided in thestandard 16, 18 and mount the lead screw for turning movement about itsown axis. Operatively connected to the end of the lead screw 42 adjacentthe bearing section 42b is a knob 46 for manual turning of the leadscrew 42.

Drive is imparted to the lead screw 42 from an appropriate synchronoustiming motor 48 removably yet rigidly mounted on the base 14 throughprovision of a right angle bracket 50 which is held in place by thescrews 52 tapped into the base 14. The motor preferably is a fract onalhorse power unit of standard construction, such as those sold andcommercially available under the trade-mark Telechron and is designed toprovide a substantially constant and low rate of turning at its outputshaft 52. The motor 48is'energized from an appropriate source of linepotential via the leads 54, 56 connected through a voltage stepdowntransformer 58. The output shaft 52 of the motor is coupled via anappropriate releasable clutch mechan sm. to the lead screw 42. In theillu trative form of the invention, a sylphon bellows 60 is fixed to themotor shaft and is provided with a slotted forward end 60a which engagesoppositely directed pins 62 fixed on the adjacent end of the lead screw42. The use of the bellows 66 facilitates the more or less permanentattachment of the motor to the base, yet permits release of the motorshaft 52 from the lead screw 42 when the motor is to be removed from thebase and replaced by a motor capable of providing a different drivingrate for the lead screw.

The lead screw 42 carries a follower nut 64 which is movable toward andaway from the respective standards 16, 18 at a rate predetermined by thepitch of the lead screw and/or the drive of the motor 48. The followernut 64 carries a cross head or actuating member 66 which is disposedintermediate the standards 16, 18. The cross head 66, as seen in Figs. 1and 2 extends generally parallel to the standards 16, 18 and is disposedin substantially the plane of the sets of syringes S1, S2. Appropriateguide'm'eans are operatively connected to the follower 64 to precluderotative displacement of the same in relation to the lead screw 42 andto assure the'required follower action. In the illustrative form, theguide means includes a depending bracket 68 secured to the follower nut64 which engages one side of a guide rod 70 fixed between the standards16, 18 and a depending finger 72 on the bracket 63 which engages theopposite sides of the guide rod 70. p "Supported at spaced locationsalong and transverse of the cross head 66 are coupling members,generally dos-lg nated by the reference numeral 74, which operativelyengagethe plungers of syringe set'Sr, and are operatively connected tothe plungers of syringe set S2. -Eachof the coupling infinf bfirs ,74,.is. of likelstructure and includes a threaded bolt 76 tapped through theactuating member or cross head 66 and adjustable along the line or linesof action of the plungers 30 of the sets S1, S2. On each of the bolts 76is a threaded nut 78 which is engageable against the adjacent side ofthe cross head 66 to lock the bolts in a selected position of transverseadjustment. As seen best in Fig. 7, the leading end 76a of the bolt isengageable against the plunger of the aligned syringe of the set S1; thehead end 76b of the bolt carries an appropriate spring clip 78b which isengageable about the enlarged end of the plunger of the aligned syringeof the set S2. Thus, in response to movement of the cross head 66 awayfrom the standard 18 and toward the standard 16, the leading ends 76 ofthe coupling members will urge the plungers of the set S1 through aforward thrust eflective for injection of fluid, and simultaneously, theplungers of the second set S2 will be retracted to etfect fluidwithdrawal.

In a typical installation, polyethylene tubing may serve as a lead fromthe needle of a hypodermic syringe, the tubing being connected to aglass capillary tube at the end remote from the needle. Glass capillarytubes from an infusion and extraction syringe are inserted into thetissue or organ. Employing apparatus in which the timing motor 48produces one revolution of its shaft every four hours, and with a leadscrew of one-half inch diameter and having forty threads to the inch, itwas found possible to deliver and extract .0013 cubic centimeter perhour for prolonged time periods.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present apparatusfinds numerous applications in both experimental and practical biologyand medicine. By expedients well understood in the art, the apparatuscan be arranged to feed discontinuously, to shut off after a prescribedperiod of infusion and extraction, and to provide a variable feed rate.Further, it will be appreciated that the device may be used successfullyfor the infusion of microvolumes by decoupling of the extraction needlesS2, and conversely for extraction of microvolumes only by decoupling ofthe infusion needles S1.

Numerous modifications are intended in the foregoing disclosure and incertain instances some features of the invention will be used without acorresponding use of other features. Accordingly, the appended claimsshould be construed broadly as isconsistent with the disclosure.

What we claim is:

1. In perfusion and extraction apparatus, a stationary support includinga pair of spaced apart standards, means on each of said standards forsupporting plunger-operated hypodermic syringes on said standards, saidsyringes being mountable to extend in opposite directions with theirplungers extending into the space between said standards, an actuatingmember disposed between said standards and adapted to be connected tosaid syringes, means operatively connected to and mounting saidactuating member for movement toward and away from the respectivestandards, and drive means operatively connected to the mounting meansfor said actuating member.

2. In a device for extraction and perfusion of microlevels of fluid fromhypodermic syringes each of which includes a fluid-containing cylinderand a plunger operable in said cylinder, a base including a pair ofspaced apart uprights, means for mounting one or more syringes on eachof said uprights with their respective plungers extending inwardly, anactuating head interposed between said uprights, a driven lead screw andfollower operatively connected to said head and mounting said head formovement at a predetermined rate away from one of saiduprightsandftowardthe other of said up rights, means adapted tooperatively connect the plungers of the one or more syringes on said oneupright to said head whereby in responseto movement of said head awayfrom said .one upright, the plungers. are retracted in-their cylinders,andmeans'adaptedto operatively connect the plungers of the one or moresyringes on said other upright to said head whereby in response tomovement of said heads toward said other upright, the plungers areadvanced in their cylinders.

3. In a device for extraction and perfusion of microlevels of fluid,hypodermic syringes each of which includes a fluid-containing cylinderand a plunger operable in said cylinder, a base including a pair ofspaced apart uprights, means for mounting one or more syringes on eachof said uprights with their respective plungers extending inwardly, anactuating head interposed between said uprights, a driven lead screw andfollower operatively connected to said head and mounting said head formovement at a predetermined rate away from one of said uprights andtoward the other of said uprights, means operatively connecting theplungers of the one or more syringes on said one upright to said headwhereby in response to movement of said head away from said one upright,the plungers are retracted in their cylinders, and means operativelyconnecting the plungers of the one or more syringes on said otherupright to said head whereby in response to movement of said headstoward said other upright, the plungers are advanced in their cylinders.

4. A device for the simultaneous infusion and withdrawal of microvolumesof solutions over long periods of time comprising a base includingspaced apart and parallel first and second uprights, a lead screwtraversing said uprights, bearing means mounting said lead screws forrotation about its axis, a synchronous timing motor having a constantrate of revolution coupled to said lead screw, a first hypodermicsyringe seated on said first upright and having its plunger disposedalong a first line of action parallel to said axis, a second hypodermicsyringe seated on said second upright and having its plunger disposedalong a second line of action parallel to said axis and coinciding withsaid first line of action, a cross head disposed between said uprights,a lead screw follower engaging said lead screw and operatively connectedto cross head, and a coupling member disposed along said coincidinglines of action and operatively engaging the plunger of said firstsyringe and operatively connected to the plunger of said second syringe.

5. A device for the simultaneous infusion and withdrawal of microvolumesof solutions over long periods of time comprising a base includingspaced apart and parallel first and second uprights, a lead screwtraversing said uprights, bearing means mounting said lead screw forrotation about its axis, a synchronous timing motor having apredetermined rate of revolution coupled to said lead screw, a firsthypodermic syringe seated on said first upright and having its plungerdisposed along a first line of action parallel to said axis, a secondhypodermic syringe seated on said second upright and having its plungerdisposed along a second line of action parallel to said axis andcoinciding with said first line of action, a cross head disposed betweensaid uprights, a lead screw follower engaging said lead screw andoperatively connected to cross head, and a coupling member disposedalong said coinciding lines of action and operatively engaging theplunger of said first syringe and operatively connected to the plungerof said second syringe, said coupling member including a threaded bolttapped through said cross head and adjustable along said coincidinglines of action and a nut on said bolt and engageable against said crosshead to lock said bolt in selected positions of adjustment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,346,127 Janes July 13, 1920 2,101,140 Hege Dec. 7, 1937 2,457,977Cookson Jan. 4, 1949 2,602,446 Glass et al. July 8, 1952

